Duplicating machine



A. W. MILLS DUPLICATING MACHINE Feb. 1', 1944.

Filed Oct. 15, 1941 o o 0 o o o o 4 Sheets-Shet 1 OO-OOQOOOOO INVEIYTC'R.

ATTORNEY.

Feb. 1, 1944.

A. w. MlLLS DUPLICATING MACHINE Filed Oct. 13, 1941 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

A. w- MIL-Ls DUPLICATING Feb. -9

IRE

4 Sheet-Shee'h 5 File . w VMA m s A;

Feb. 1, 1944. A. w. MILLS DUPLICATING MACHINE 4 shets-sneet 4 ni lmw" Filed Oct. 13, 1941 ATTORNEY.

Patente cl Feb. 1, 1944 DUPLICATING MACHINE- Albert w. Mills, Endicott, N. Y., assignor to International Business Machines Corporation, New

York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 1s, 1941, Serial No. 414,819

9 Claims. (01. 101-1325) This invention relates to machines wherein printed matter is transferredfrom an original sheet to a copy sheet by means of applying pressure upon them so as to deposit a part of the printing of the original upon the copy through the medium of a spirit solvent applied to either or both of the aforementioned sheets.

This device may be considered an improvement over a machine such as set forth in U. S.

Patent No. 2,189,043, however, additional novel.

features have been added in order to bring about the desired results. While the machin disclosed in the cited patent is intended'for printin by transfer, of one line at a time, the instant invention is intended to dupli'cate, from a continuous sheet to another continuous sheet, any number of lines consecutively, i. e. the present machine is a continuous duplicator.

, The prior art teaches of many forms of duplicators such as those employing stencils, and the like,-where complete sheets are duplicated, however the instant invention goes farther than these devices, in that it duplicates, not one sheet, but any number of sheets in succession, thereby eliminating the changing of stencils, etc.

In certain accounting machines, furthermore, such as one disclosed in U. 8. Patent No. 1,976,617,

the final printed tabulations are produced by printing upon a continuous sheet emerging from the printing mechanism of such machine. For

certain purposes of accounting, duplicates of such sheets are required. To sever these sheets or to reproduce them in stencil sections is not only impractical, but costly.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to provide a machine for transferring printed information from a continuous original sheet to a continuous copy sheet, the lengths of such sheets being immaterial.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for realigning the original sheet and the copy sheet in a continuous transfer machine between active transfer operations. It is well known that in duplicating from one sheet to another the natural cohesion of the sheets and the adhesion of the printed characters introduces uneven stress in the original and copy sheets, resulting in the creeping of one sheet with respect to the other. Unless such creeping is allowed for and corrected, the finished duplicated sheet may be unfit for use.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a continuous duplicating machine in which the copy sheet is duplicated without smudging or otherwise defaced. It has been Another object of this invention is to provide a simple continuous duplicating machine wherein the original sheet and the copy sheet may be easily inserted with little chance for damage to the orignal sheet. i

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose, by way of example, the principle of the invention and the best mode, which has been contemplated, of applying that principle.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top planview of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view showing the main drive gear, print roll idler gear, print wheel drive gear, and ink roll drive gear.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

, Fig. 5 is a side elevation view of the belt drivenside of the machine, also showing some of the cam controlled mechanism.

In the instant device the original sheet from which duplication is to be made may be pre-: pared by an accounting machine, conventional typewriter, or any other means where a con-' tinuous sheet is printed upon. The printing may be continuous, line after line, or may be grouped in regular sequence with a blank space between each group, as is most frequently done. In any event, the continuous original sheet is backed up with carbon paper or other suitable media; while being printed, so as to produce a negative upon the back surface of the original sheet. The original sheet, as well as the copy sheet, may be perforatedalong its edges to permit pin feed.

The copy sheet upon which transfer is to be effected may consist of a continuous sheet with edge perforations, as mentioned above. The copy I sheet is fed over a roll moistened with asolvent capable of dissolving the carbon of the negative fer the two sheets are separated to permit mu I-' tual realignment. This separation may occur betweenline spaces, or, as is the usual case, betwee may be easily substituted if desire spaced paragraphs or groups of printing.

The original and the copy sheets may be wound upon spools from which the sheets are fed into contact with each other to effect transfer, the original sheet being rewound' upon a storage spool for further use while the copy sheet maybe withdrawn and severed into lengths as ,desired.

The instant invention is herein sliown as being driven by'a hand crank, however apower drive The invention is shown in detail in Fig. .1 and Fig. 2. 'A base l and the side plates II and I2,

enablingit to dissolve the printing on'theinegative. of the-original sheet 20; After contacting the rolls 44 and 45 the copy sheet is'fed over a feed roll 49 and thence to a further pair of feed which will be described more fully r'oll's 14 and later. When the upper frame rests-upon the lower frame normally as shown in Fig. 4, the

feed roll 35 and the. feed roll 49, in effect, constitute a pair of, feed rolls. mounted' on a shaft "supported at each end The feed roll 49 is by an arm 5| of a bell crank 52, the latter being pi'votedabout a shaft54. Feed roll 49 is normally held against the feed roll 35 by the tension fastened thereto, constitute a lower framework to which most of the operating mechanism is attached. A drive shaft I 3 is mounted extending through the sideplates I I and I2. On one end of this shaft I3 is a hand crank l4 from which the device derives its driving power. Pivoted about the shaft l3 are two additional side plates l5 and l 6 which constitute an upper frame together with a spacing rod i1 and a spacing rod I 3, the lower plates Ii and i2 form a spacing structure for the upper frame at the line of shaft l3-about which the entire upper frame is pivoted. The rod I8 normally provides a rest for the upper frame upon the plates II and I2.

At one end of the upper frame (opposite the drive shaft I3) is a spindle: i9 (see also Figs. 4

and 5) upon which the wound original sheet is supported, spaced by the flanges 2i and 22. Spindle I9 is detachably mounted in a notch 23 and a notch 24 located in the side plates l5 and I6 respectively, and is provided with a spring retainer 25. At the other end of the upper frame is a storage spindle 26 which is detachably secured by a shaft 21 at one. end and by a spring retainer bearing." at the other end. The shaft 21 has a notch 29 at one end which engages a complementary notch 30 in the spindle 26 to positively drive the latter. The shaft 21 is equipped with a pair of friction plates 3| and 32 held together by a spring 33. The .plate 3| is pinned to the shaft 21 and the plate 32 forms the hub of the pulley 34 which idles on shaft 21.

At the lower center of the upper frame is located a feed roll 35 having a row of spaced driving pins 59 about its periphery at each end. The feed roll 35 is mounted on a shaft 36 journalled into the side plates l5 and 16. The shaft 36 is pulley driven by a pulley 31 which is connected by a belt 39 to another pulley 39 fastened to the main drive shaft l3. Another pulley 40, fastened also to shaft I3 is connected by a belt 4i to the pulley 34. The pulleys 34 and 31 are driven continuously when the machine is in operation.

The original sheet 20 is fed from the spindle i9 under feed roll 35 to the storage spindle 26, the latter feedingmembers rotating constantly while the machine is in operation. The friction plates 3| and 32 coact to allow for diil'erence in feeding rates of spindle 26 and feed roll 35 as the original sheet 20 is wound upon the spindle 26 thereby increasing the latters effective diameter.

The lower frame has a spindle 42 mounted into the side plates II and I2 which provides a supply I a solvent 41 contained in a reservoir 49. The copy sheet 43 absorbs some of the solvent 41 thereby of a spring 53 fastened to each bell crank 52. Feed roll 491s sumciently less in length than feed roll 35 to clear the pins 59 of the latter.- Consequently the original sheet 20 and the copy sheet 43 are fed between the feed rolls 35 and 49 in such a manner as to effect a transfer, the transfer pressure being supplied'by feed roll 49 and the feeding drive being supplied by the feed roll 35.

It has been found, by experiment, that in transfer printing of continuous sheets, smudging of the copy sheet frequently occurs unless the original sheet and the copy sheet are fed into the feed rolls supplying the transfer pressure at an angle of less than 45?, and it has also been found that the aforementioned sheets should be withdrawn from the feed rolls supplying the transfer pressure at an angle of more than 45. In Fig. 4 the angle o, the angle of entrance, is shown as approximately 30" while the angle 0, the angle. of exit, is approximately These values have proved most reliable in avoiding smudging. The physical thickness of the sheets, the size of the feed rolls, and the speed of transfer may change these .values slightly," but on the whole the general statement has been found to hold.

As a ,further safeguard against smudging and to prevent offset and irregular printing, the feed rolls 35 and 49 are slightly separated between transfer operations to allow the original and copy sheets to-be realigned through the tension maintained in each by spindles l9 and 26, and by 4 spindle 42 and feed rolls 14 and 15, respectively.

Normally the transfer pressure isrelieved between regularly spaced groups of printing on the original sheet as it passes the feed rolls 35 and 49. This is brought about by, displacing the roll 49 a slight amount from feed roll 35. Where feed roll 35 is of the pin drive type such displacement need not affect the continued feeding of the sheets as the displacement is not sufficient to disengage the pins on the feed roll perforations in the sheets.

from the Fig. 4 shows the manner in which the feed roll 49 may be displaced. A cam 55 on each end of the drive shaft it regularly engages followers 56 of the arms 51 to rock them, such motion being transmitted to the bell cranks 52 by links 53. Bell cranks 52 are thereby action of springs .53 about the shaft 54 displacing the. feed roll 49 from thefeed roll 35 a few thousandths of an inch. 1

The copy sheet 43 is withdrawn from the feed rolls 35 and 49 by a second pair of feed rolls 14 and 15. When theinstant device is used to prepare bills, etc. it may be required that common information be supplied to the copy sheet after the transferred items are effected. For such purposes, after transfer operations, the copy sheet is led between a printing cylinder 60 and a platen 6!, The platen is brought to bear upon the sheet so. as to have the latter displaced against the by the action of-a cam 62 rocked against the as shown in Fig. 4. (There are duplicates of each of these members on each side of the ma- Y chine.) The actual printing pressure is supplied by the springs 65, one attached to each bell crank 64. v

An inking roll 68 (see Figs. 2 and 4) contacts the printing cylinder 80 and is supplied with ink from a reservoir 61'. The printing cylinder 90 and the' inkingroll 66 are driven by the gearmechanism shown in Fig. 3. A drive gear 68 pinned to the drive shaft I3 operates an idler gear 69 which in turn meshes with a gear 10 pinned to a shaft ll to which the printing cylinder 60 is fastened. Gear lflalso drives a gear 12 fastened to a shaft 13 to which the inking roll' 66 is pinned. This entire printing mechanism operates continuously when the drive shaft I3 is turned by the hand crank l4.

The feed rolls l4 and 15, previously mentioned, (see Fig. 4) always grip the copy sheet 43 under influence of a pair of tension'springs 19 acting upon feed roll 15 through the bell cranks 11 which form the mounting for the latter feed roll.

- The'feedroll 14 is mounted on a shaft 18 through which these feed rolls are driven (see also Fig; 2).

A pulley 19 is located on one end of the shaft I9 which is normally driven from a larger pulley 80 located concentrically with the drive shaft l3. A clutch member 8| is pinned to shaft l3 cooperativewith acomplementary clutch member 82 which is fixed to the pulley 80. These clutch members 8| and 92 are normally engaged to rotate the feed roll 14 through the pulley 80 and the pulley 19 belted to it.

When the leading end of the copy sheet 43 reaches a predetermined position beyond a knife 93,"the clutch members 8| and 82, normally held engaged .by a wedge 84, are disengaged when wedge 84 is removed (see Figs. 1 and by its bell crank 85 being displaced through the action of a cam follower 86 and a cam 81 attached to shaft 13. At this time in the device's operation, the copy'sheet is held stationary by the feed rolls I4 and 15 which are no longer rotating. However, the feed rolls 35 and 49 which operate continuously are feeding more copy sheet toward the I feed rolls l4 and "and a loop or a slack section of copy sheet results. Since it is most important to have the copy sheet taut (as well as the original sheet) when feed rolls 9 6 and 49 open, the

latter action being possible at any time, a means is provided by the take-up roll 89 and a cooperating arm 89.to maintain tension in the copy sheet. (Note: Fig. 4 shows the roll '9 and. the arm 89 in dot-dash" under circumstances just described.)

When the feed rolls l4 and I5 stop feeding, as

previously explained, the copy sheet hinder the knife 93 is severed by the latter as a cam 92 on shaft i3 actuates the follower 9| on a bell crank .9ilattached to the knife 83 (see Fig. 5).

After thesheet is severed the clutch members SI and 92 re-engage and the feedv rolls I4 and i5 again'feed the copy sheet. The pulley ratios of pulleys 39 and 81 and of pulleys 80 and I9 are so selected that the feed rolls 14 and I! feed sufliciently' faster than feed rolls 3! and 49*to'take in the slack of the copy sheet between cutofl periods. To insure against overfeeding by the feed rolls I4 and 15, the pulley I9, whichfurnishes their driving impetus, is provided. with two friction plates 93 and 94 held together by. a spring 95.- Plate 93 is pinned to the shaft 18 while plate 94 forms the hub face of the pulley 19.

of feed, and period of cutoff, ca/n be interchanged within a specific machine to change the final dimensions of the finished bill, etc.

While there has been shown and described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a single modification, it will be understood that various omissions and substitutions and changes in the form and details of the device illustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It is the intention therefore to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:

.1. In a machine for transferring printed information from a continuous original sheet to a 26 continuous copy sheet, a rotatable supply spool about which the said original sheet is wound, a

- supply spool about which the said copy sheet is wound, a moistening roll for the said copy sheet,

and for maintaining tension in the former, and

means for displacing one of the said first pair of feed rolls from the other between transfer periods thereby causing the said sheets to become realigned under the influence of the maintained tension in each. 2. In a machine for transferring printed information from a length of a continuous original sheet to a length of a continuous copy sheet, means for supporting the said original sheet,- means for supporting thesaid copy sheet, means for moistening the said copy sheet, means for feeding the said sheets together simultaneously and forexerting' contact pressure between them at a predetermined position to effect a transfer, means for maintaining tension in'the said ori inal sheet, means for maintaining tension in the -said copy sheet, and means disabling the said feeding means to remo'vethe said exerted contact pressure between transfer operations where by the said sheets are realigned by the said maintained tension in each.

3. In a machinefor transferring grouped, printed information from a continuous original sheet to a continuouscopy sheet, the combinationof a first supplyspool about which thesaid I original sheet is wound, a second supply spool about which the said copy sheet is wound, a moistening roll for the said copy sheet, a first pair of feed rolls between which both of the said sheets are fedfsimultaneous'ly from their reiQ mutual pressure upon the said sheets to effect a transfer, arotatable storage spool for maintaining tension in the'said original sheet, a second pair of'feed's'olls .for withdrawing the said copy sheet from the -said first pair of feed rolls and to for maintaining tension inthe said copy sheet spective supply spools, the said feed'rolls exerting while feeding it, means'to actuate the said second pair of feed rolls to feed intermittently, a

knifefor severing the said copy sheet into predetermined lengths during each intermittent pause of the said second pair of feed rolls,'means acting upon the said copy sheet to maintain tension in the latter during each intermittent pause themselves but not great enough to disrupt the of the said second pair of feed rolls, and means to open the said first pair of feed rolls between transfers thereby releasing the said sheets to be "mutually realigned by the tension maintained in each.

continuous copy, sheet, the combination of 'a first supply spool for the said original sheet, a second supply spool for the said copysheet, the

said first supply spool being spaced'from the said 4. Ina machine for transferring printed in- Y formation from a continuous original sheet to a second supply spool, a moistening roll for the saidcopy sheet, a first-pair offeed rolls between which the said sheets are fed together simultaneously, the said pairfof feed rolls exerting pressure upon Y the said sheets to eifect a transfer, the-said sheets further-entering the said first pair of feed rolls at an angle substantially less, than one half a right angle and leaving the same .atan angle substantially more thanone half a right angle,

a rotatable storage spool for withdrawing the said original sheet from the said first pair of feed rolls and for maintaining .tension in. they said original sheet at'all times, aJsecon'd-pair of feed rolls, intermittently operative, for withdrawing thesaid copy sheet from the said first pair offeed rolls andrformaintaining tension in the said copy sheet during withdrawal, a take-up roll for maintaining tension in the said copy sheet enough to relieve the said exerted pressure to cause the said sheets" under tension to realign feeding of the said sheets by the said projecting Pins 6. Iri a machine for transferring printed in-.

formation from a continuous original sheet to a continuous copy sheet, the combination of a lower' member and "an' upper member hingedly attached,a supply spool at one end of the said upper member for holding the said original sheet,

a rotatable storage spool atthe other end of the ,said upper member for maintaining tension in the said original sheet, one of a pair of feed. rolls.

common to the said upper and lower members, at the lower center of the said upper member, the said original sheet being led between the said feed rolls from the said supply spool to'the said storage spool, a supply spool at one endof the said. lower member for holding the said copy sheet,,.a second pair of feed: rolls beyond the centeroi' the said lower member. for feeding the said copy sheet and maintaining tension therein, the other of the first said pair of feed rolls at the upper center of the said lower member, the said copy sheet being fed from its supply spool to the second said pair of feed rolls between the first said pair of feed rolls in contact with the said original sheet, a moistening'roll for the said copysheet, means for supplying pressure to-the first saidpairof feed rolls to effect a transfer from the said original sheet to the said copy I sheet, means to disable the said pressure supplyduring the intermittent pauses of the saidsec- 0nd pair of feed rolls. and means'for'displacing one of the said first pair of feed rolls during nontransferperiods thereby causing .the said original sheet and the said copy sheet to be realigned as a result of the tension maintained in each.

5. In a machine for transferring printed in- I formation from a continuous, edge perforated,

original sheet to a continuous,-slmilarly edge perforated, copy sheet, the combinatlonof first supply spool for the said original sheet, a second supply spool for the said. copy sheet, the said supply spools being supported in spaced relation one above the other, a moistening roll for the said copy sheet, a first pair of feed rolls between which 4 vancing both said sheetsfrom their respective with one another. and said. means comprising a v pair of coacting feed rollers operable to feed the two sheets therebetween' and, at the same time,

the said sheets are fed togethersimultaneously, the said pair of feed rolls exerting pressure uponthe said sheets to effect a transfer, one of the pair of'the said feed rolls having pins disposed about its lateral surface on circumferences near each end corresponding to the said perforations in the said sheets for positively feeding the latter, the said sheets entering the said'pair offeed rolls at an angle substantially less than one half a right angle and leaving the same at' an angle ing means between periods of transfer, and means "to swing the'said upper member from the said lower member thereby opening the first said pair of feed rolls for inserting. the said original sheet and the said copy sheet.

7. A machine. for .transferring printed matter from a prepared original sheet to .a copy sheet and comprising a supply spool carrying the original sheet; asecond supply spool carrying the copy sheet; means for simultaneously adspools and into print-transferring engagement to press said sheets together; means for separating said sheets as they leave saidfeed rollers} means for maintaining the original sheet under tension as it leaves said rollers; means for maintaining said copy sheet under tension as it leaves said-rollers: and'means for periodically separating said feed rollers so as topermit the tensioningv means for said original sheet and for said copy sheet to effect realignment of said sheets.

'8. In a machine for transferring printed information from a continuous original sheet having feeding perforations extending lengthwise thereof, to a continuous copy sheet having similar substantially greater than one half a right angle,

a rotatable storage spool for withdrawing the said original sheet from the said first pair of feed rolls and for maintaining tension in .the said original sheet at all times, a second pair of feed rolls intermittently operable, for withdrawing the said copy sheet from the said first pair offeed rolls and for maintaining tension in the said copy sheet as it is fed by the said second pair of feed rolls, a take-up roll for maintaining tension in the said copy sheet during the intermittent pauses of the said second pair of feed rolls, andineans for opening the said first pair of feed rolls during non-transfer periods by an" amount great contact pressureis exerted; an d means for pe- I riodically'relieving the contact pressure without stopping the pin feeding operation so that the tension maintained in the sheets effects realignment thereof. 7

9.1In a, machine for transferring printed information from a continuous original sheet having feeding perforations extending lengthwise thereof to a continuous copy sheet having similar feeding perforationstherein, the combination of means for supporting said original sheet; means for supporting said copy sheet; means for continuously feeding the two sheets together and for exerting contact pressure therebetween at a predetermined position to effect transfer-printing and said last-named means including a pair of rotatable coacting feed rolls between whichthe two sheets are fed simultaneously and being operable to exert sumcient pressure therebetween to effect transfer printing, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced radial feeding pins carried by one of said rolls and operable-to suc-' cessively enter registering feeding perforations in said original and copy sheets as said one roll is rotated and thereby to feed both said sheets lengthwise; means for maintaining tension in both said original and copy sheets as they leave said rolls; and means for periodically separating said rolls sumcient to relieve the. pressure therebetween without disengaging the feeding pins from the perforations in said sheets, so that said tensioning means operates to realign said sheets.

ALBERT, W. MILLS. 

